Windshield cleaner



Nov. 4, 1952 c 2,616,113

WI NDSHIELD CLEANER Filed Jan. 21, 1947 mvsu-ron Ant/70 C. Sci/15a Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'W ND IELD CLEANER Anthony Shi to. 'B ia o, N- .X" assisno -i o fgigioo Rroductsfiorporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

.a pnonnn 3139 44 3221 l w lie-12359" cl. it-zn) 1 121 fi oimsinvention relates to the windshield cleaning art and --especially to a wiper for cleaning curved windshield surfaces.

It has heretofore been proposed -to provide a wibingblade-with an articulated backing to enable the wiping edge more readily conforming to the curvature of the surface'being-wi-ped. The stiflening sections or members composing the articulated backing are pivotally connected together and so mounted as to hold the wiping edge down upon the windshield surface. This necessitates the backing members being individually supported by the wiper actuating arm.

The object of the present inventionis to provide a-wiper of this character which will insure uniform wiping pressure throughout'the several sections of the articulated structure.

The-invention further has for its object to pro.- vide a wiper for curved Windshields which is of practica1 design and economical in construction.

The foregoing and other objects will manifest themselves as the following description progresses, reference being made to {the accompanyingvdrawing,v wherein:

Fig. 'l :isaside elevation showing theimproved windshield wiper in its operative positio upon a windshield;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view depicting the ,mode ofjoining the sections of the wiper ade o sins; a d v "Fi s a tr er ese t ona iew th u h the jo nt i lu tr t d. inf-is- 2- Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates an oscillatory shaft arranged at the lower side of the windshield 2 and carrying at its forward end :an actuating -arm 3 which has a pivotally mounted :section 4-under the urge ore-spring 5 rto e rert the desired pressure upon the wiper to which it is connected by a clip .6. The wiper, as shown, is of blade design andhas a rubber or flexible body] with one con.- inuous winin dge along e margin or c ntacting the .curved' surface of the windshield .2. The wiping'body maybe composed of a stepped arrangement of plies, as indicated .in Fig. 3, or it maybemolded or otherwise formed. The back margin of the blade-like body is, reinforced by two or more channeled backing members preferably of metal and deformed to clampingly embrace the rubber wiping body. Three backing members 8 and 9 are depicted in end to end relation to constitute links of an articulated backing for the otherwise flexible wiping body, the adjacent ends of the backing members being preferably spaced apart to avoid obstructing free pivota mo e ent there tw e as he wipin ed e .oonionns to the w ndsh eld r a e- The interven ng space. b twee jacen b ck eihioroemon s is enclosed against. he a he y a h llow hous ng -v Th s may e U-shap h-or ssrs otion tor-strad l n he a a t ends, the sides of the housing being connected to the respective backing members, aszby mean of tubular rivets II The housing therefore serves as a onne tor b tw en he m mbers. On or o h rivets may provide for pivotal movement between adjacent members.

flfhe-wiper attaching clip 6 .iscarried by the intermediate backing vn lember 8. and therefore the urge ,of the rmv spr ng 5 is a l d d c y he eto- For d s ributing this sprin r e indieotly to he t hninelmembe s a x i y sp n s I2 are employed. These auxiliary springs are aranged, w th n the ou ings 1.0 e h ha ng i s nter en bearing noon th e m nal se t 9 utwardly beyond its. ivot. IL This w ll exert a pressur noon, t e erminal hack n memb r f r hol ng the adja ent nortioni f. the ,wipin ede n wip ng n en with t e hi i elci-v I esir d the spri g may be to d an hav ts. no te nd .iindin sup o t upon the int mediate section 8 inwardly of its pivot II, with the intermediate bowed portion of the spring rect n aga n he r y n l of t eh sin thelatter being formed with a centering pin I3 to engage in an aperture [4 in the spring for locating the spring and retaining it in place. Thus, the springs l2 will serve to transmit the desired wiping pressure notponly to the wiper part 8 but also to its extensions 9 and thereby enable the Wiping edge being uniformly pressed against the windshield. "The strength of the springs [2 will, of; course, determine the pressure in the wiping contact of the terminal sections 9 as hey work in con un t n th h main sprin h p ngs he ef re, se e to is ribu e v emessure from the spring 5 to the several sections of he blade backing Th w pe iis o sim le construc ion and ay ee l y ea seinh ed .eonoom inmanu actu eh o o ng desor o has been given in pa oi a or thes se .clarityandno by way or limitation, since the inventive principles involved may be applied to other physical embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention claimed.

. What is claimed is:

1. A wiper comprising a longitudinally extending wiping body reinforced at intervals by backmg members, means for attaching one backing member to a wiper actuating member, and spring means connected at the opposite ends of said one backing member and acting upon adjacent backing members for urging the latter into wiping contact with a surface being wiped.

2. A curved surface wiper comprising a longitudinally extending flexible wining body having a wiping edge along one margin and its opposite end to end relation along the body, means on the intermediate member for attaching it to an arm, means pivotally connecting the backing members into a composite articulated backing for the wiping body, and resilient means arranged in the pivoting means and acting on the backing members to urge the opposite end portions of the elongated body into a conformity with the surface being wiped.

4. A wiper comprising an elongated flexible body, three rigid backing members arranged along the back of the body, spaced means pivotally connecting the backing members in end to end relation to form an articulated backing for the wiping body, means for attaching the inter mediate member to an actuator, and a spring coacting with each pivotal connecting means for deflecting the end backing members relative to the intermediate member toward the surface being wiped.

5. A wiper comprising an elongate resilient body having a continuous wiping edge along one margin, three backing members arranged in end to end relation along the opposite margin, means for attaching the intermediate member to an actuating arm, a housing pivotally connecting. the adjacent ends of the backing members, and

a spring within the housing having its opposite ends bearing upon the adjacent ends and its central portion reacting upon the housing for.

urging the end backing members toward the wiping edge. 7

6. A wiper comprising an elongate resilient body having a continuous wiping edge along one margin, three backing members arranged in end for attaching the intermediate member to an 4 actuating arm, a housing of channeled form inverted over each pair of the adjacent ends of the backing members and having its opposite sides pivotally connected thereto, and a bowed flat spring arranged within each housing with its opposite ends seating on the backing members at points outwardly beyond the pivotal connections whereby to urge the terminal backing members toward the wiping edge. 7 I

8. A wiper comprising an elongate resilient 7 body having a continuous wiping edge along one margin, three backing members arranged in end I to end relation along the opposite margin, means for attaching the intermediate member to an actuating arm, a housing of channeled form inverted over each'pair of the adjacent ends of the backing members and having its opposite sides pivotally connected thereto, a bowed flat spring arranged within the housing with its opposite ends seating on the backing members at points outwardly beyond the pivotal connections whereby to urge the backing members toward the wiping edge, the intermediate bowed portion of the spring and the inner wall of the housing being interlocked by a projection on one part engaging in a recess in the other. 7

9. A windshield cleaner having a wiper, an

actuating arm therefor, spring means acting body, a plurality of elongate rigid backing members arranged along the back of the body in supporting contact therewith, means pivotally connecting the backing members in end to end relation to form an articulated backing for the wiping body, means on one backing member intermediate its ends for attaching it to an actuator, and a spring arranged in the pivotal connecting means at an end of the one backing member for deflecting the backing members relative to each other toward the surface being wiped.

ANTHONY C. SCINTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,169,280 Ousley Jan. 25, 1916 1,694,245 Baker Dec. 4, 1928 2,276,556 Zaiger Mar. 17, 1942 2,303,694 Horton Dec. 1, 1942 v FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Country Date 7 427,383 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1935 820,156 France July 26, 1937 

